“That remains to be seen,” said Aquareine, firmly meeting the gaze of the terrible eyes.

“Of course,” he answered, nodding his head with a graceful movement.  “You will try to thwart me and escape.  You will pit your fairy power against my powers of magic.  That will give me great pleasure, for the more you struggle, the greater will be my revenge.”

“But why should you seek revenge upon us?” asked Clia.  “We have never harmed you.”

“That is true,” replied Zog.  “I bear you no personal ill will.  But you are friends of my great enemy, King Anko, and it will annoy him very much when he finds that you have been destroyed by me.  I cannot hurt the rascally old sea serpent himself, but through you I can make him feel my vengeance.”

“The mermaids have existed thousands of years,” said the Queen in a tone of pride.  “Do you imagine the despised and conquered Zog has power to destroy them?”

“I do not know,” was the quiet answer.  “It will be interesting to discover which is the more powerful.”

“I challenge you to begin the test at once, vile magician!” exclaimed Aquareine.

“There is no hurry, fair Queen,” answered Zog in his softest tones.  “I have been so many years in accomplishing your capture that it is foolish to act hastily now.  Besides, I am lonely.  Here in my forced retirement I see only those uninteresting earth mortals whom I have made my slaves, for all sea dwellers are forbidden to serve me save the sea devils, and they dare not enter my castle.  I have saved many mortals from drowning and brought them here to people my castle, but I do not love mortals.  Two lovely mermaids are much more interesting, and before I allow you to perish, I shall have much amusement in witnessing your despair and your struggles to escape.  You are now my prisoners.  By slow degrees I shall wear out your fairy powers and break your hearts, as well as the hearts of these earth dwellers who have no magic powers, and I think it will be a long time before I finally permit you to die.”

“That’s all right,” said Trot cheerfully.  “The longer you take, the better I’ll be satisfied.”

“That’s how I feel about it,” added Cap’n Bill.  “Don’t get in a hurry to kill us Zog.  It’ll be such a wear an’ tear on your nerves.  Jes’ take it easy an’ let us live as long as we can.”

“Don’t you care to die?” asked the magician.

“It’s a thing I never longed for,” the sailor replied.  “You see, we had no business to go on a trip with the mermaids to begin with.  I’ve allus heard tell that mermaids is dangerous, an’ no one as met ’em ever lived to tell the tale.  Eh, Trot?”

“That’s what you said, Cap’n Bill.”

“So I guess we’re done for, one way ’r ‘nother, an’ it don’t matter much which.  But Trot’s a good child, an’ mighty young an’ tender.  It don’t seem like her time has come to die.  I’d like to have her sent safe home to her mother.  So I’ve got this ’ere proposition to make, Zog.  If your magic could make me die twice, or even three times fer good measure, why you go ahead an’ do it an’ I won’t complain.  All I ask is fer you to send this little girl safe back to dry land again.”